Vibration responsive device



Jan. 12, 1937. E, LE 2,067,803

VIBRATION RESPONSIVE DEVICE Original Filed Sept. 1, 1954 FigJ. 9 [2 I'll"! 8 Fig.5.

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Ernest L..The He, by 7 4/1417 A /Ji His Attorney Patented Jan. 12, 1937 "u Eo'sr- 'rss PATENT oF'Hce to General Electric New York Comm. e co poration of 0riginal application m 1. 1934. Serial No.

1 142,411. Divided andthll 193s, Serla1-No. 76,795 x The present invention relates to an improved vibration responsive device, and more particularly to an electromagnetic generator fortranslating mechanical vibrations into an electrical voltage.

This application is a division of. my copending application, Serial No. 742,417, filed September 1, 1934, which in turn is-a division ofan earlier application Serial No. 656,878, filed by me on February 15, 1933, for a Method of and apparatus for dynamically balancing rotatable bodies.

It is an object of the invention to produce an electromagnetic generator which is adapted for use in determining the unbalance of rotating machines and is highly-sensitive to vibrations of relatively low frequency.

It is a further objectto provide a generator of the'above character which issufliciently rugprinciples of my invention; Fig. 2 is an endview of the generator; Fig. 3 is a viewin front 35 elevation of one of the spring diaphragms used in the generator; Figs. 4 and 5 illustratemodiiied forms of the spring means of Fig. 2 shown1in different operative positions, and Fig. 6 comprises agraphical representation useful in ex plaining my invention.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, .l designates a mounting block provided in connection with the test. body whose vibrations are to be detected and analyzed. The generator as awholeis solidlyconnected to the mounting block I by means of a bracket 2 bolted thereto. As an extension. of the attachment bracket I have shown a cylindrical rod or shaft 3 screwthreaded into the end of the bracket.

Mounted on the rod and in spacedrelation to one another are two spring diaphragm: l which are shown in front elevation in Fig. 3. As illustrated, the diaphragms each comprise a multifoliate piece of sheet metal having ,a central aperture therein and provided withradially exapplication April 28,

ecu-1 (cam-s51) i ,tending slots 5 so formed as to leave a resilientLv movable central section i flexibly secureclto the remainder of the diaphragm structure. The

diaphragms are slipped on to the shaft 3 and fixedly secured in place so as to be held atqright angles to. the shaft axis. 1

Coaxial with the shaft 3, I provide a member 8 having sufliclent inertia so that its tendency is to stand still in spacewhen subjected to force impulses .of any except very low frequencies. The inertia member comprises a permanent iield magnet which is oi annular form and which includes an outer and an inner part with an annular, air gap In 'between them. Rigidly mounted on the shaft 3 and supported therefrom by a spider' 8, I provide an armature coil in of generally, cylindrical form. This is of suchsize and is so positioned as to lie within the magnet gap ll but out of contact with parts of the field structure. This coil may suitably comprise a number of turns of magnet wire and is provided with terminal conductors Ilia. adapted to be secured to an external circuit capable of analyzing the electromotive force developed in the coil. It will readily be understood that the electromotive force actually developedat anyinstant will be proportional to the velocity of displacement existing between the coil and the field structure.

The interior spaces defined by the configuration of the inertia member 9 are substantially of which are attached to the inner surfaces of the end-plates II and II respectively. It should be understood that inaccordance with my invention the diaphragms l are sufliciently rigid in a radial direction to prevent any substantial displacement in that direction of the inertia member with respect to-the shaft. By this arrangement the field magnet and the armature coil can vibrate back and forth axially with respect to each other due to the inherentflexi bility of the diaphragms in response to vibrations of the mounting block I but are restrained against radial movement. i

It is evident, however, that if the diaphragms stroy or tend to destroy the usefulness of the device at low balancing speeds. To avoid this difficulty my invention provides means for at least partially, balancing the axial stiifness of the diaphragms, such means acting in the fashion of a negative, spring. That is to say, precisely contrary to. usual spring action, the balancing agency whichI contemplate using exerts a displacing rather than a restoring force, which force,

increases with increasing relative displacement of 'the field' magnet and the armature. Furthermore, the force developed is proportional to the 1 amount of displacement.

A spring mechanism whichsatisfies these conditions is shown at the extreme right of Fig I 1" and in detail in Fig. 2. In the construction illustrated the two blocks l5, having, opposed V- shaped notches it, are secured by thin fiat elastic stripsor springs I! to the field structure of the generator. Mounted on the shaft 3 is a. block I8 which has a pair of V-shapednotches l9win itsopposed faces. Situated between the blocks and1 providing what isy-in eifect a toggle:

connectibnbetween the shaftwand theinertia member I provide stiif radially alined struts 20.

having ground knife edges" at their ends which are seated in the V -shaped notches. U

I i The outer blocks ii are pulled toward each I5,as previously described. In the further alternative modification shown in Fig; 5, the outer ends of the struts .20 are also rigidly connected other by adjustable tension springs 2|, ofwhich two are provided, so thatif the shaft 3 is displacedin one direction, say to the left, the; struts 20 will tilt in. such a manner as to exert components of force on the shaft tending to displace it still furtherin the same direction. The magnitudeof the force exertedcan be adjusted by tightening the nuts 22 so asto decrease to any.

desired extent the eifectlve resistance to displacement caused by the resilient diaphragms 4,

and thereby the naturalfrequency of axial vibration of the generator maybe made as low as is required. i

In Figs. 4 and 5,are illustrated modified forms of the spring compensatingmeans. In the form shown in Fig. 4 the struts 20 are elastic and are fixedly secured to the shaft 3 while their outer ends fit into cooperating notchesin the blocks to the blocks l5. i

The principle of operation of myimproved vibration responsive device may be conveniently explained in connection with Fig. 6. In this fig-.- ure the line A represents graphically the relation between the, restoring forceexerted by the spring .diaphragms 4 of Fig. 1 and the axial displacement betweenthe armature coil and the inertia member. A It will be observed that the restoring force exerted is directly proportional to the amountof displacement and is a function of theslope of the line A. The magnitudeof the slope in a positive sense determines directly the natural, frequency of displacement of the armature coil and field magnet. As previously explained,in using a diaphragm of adequate mechanical strength this frequency is so high as to impair the utility of the generator in detecting" low frequency vibrations i My invention provides for diminishing the natural frequency of the spring system-without decreasing its mechanical strength. by providing a spring meansof negativerestoring force which tends to offsetthe: positive force due to theresilience of the diaphragms 4. The force dis-i placement characteristic of such a means, which is of course; the. toggle connection. described placement of the shaft and inertia member to a i value determined by the slope of the line G.

Since the slope of this line, whichcomprises the resultant of the forces represented by the lines A and'B, issmall, it will be clear that the natural frequency of the composite spring structure may be sufilcientlylow'to permit detection of vibrations in any desired range.

WhileI have described my invention in connection with an electromagnetic generator, it is equally applicable to other types of apparatus for translating mechanical vibrations into other forms of energy and particularly where such apparatus comprises a movable member arranged to receive or deliver the mechanical vibrations, a cooperative inertia member, and,

means associated with said members for effecting the energy translation in response to relative displacement between them. I, therefore, aim by the appended claims to cover all such modi fications as fall. within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

- What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. Apparatus for translating imechanical vibrations into an electrical voltage comprising an inertia member including a magnet, an armature coil arranged in. the field of said magnet and a flexible connection between said magnet and said armature coil preventing relative displacement therebetween except along a single axis, said connection comprising a first resilient means which resists displacement of themagnet and.

armature coil along said axis witha force which increases substantially in proportion to the displacement and a second resilient means which favors displacement along said axis with a force which also increases substantially in proportion to the displacement but is at all times less than said first-named force.

2. Apparatus for translating mechanical vibrations into an electrical voltage comprising a rigid shaft, an inertia member including a magnet :having an annular air gap substantially coaxial with said shaft, an

armature coil arranged in said air gap andbeing rigidly secured to said shaft, 0. pair of radially stiff ,diaphragms perpendicularly mounted on. said shaft and supporting said inertia member in coaxial alinement.

therewith, said diaphragms being formed torei siliently resist axialdisplacement of said shaft and said inertia-member, and an additional resilient means having negative spring characteristics; interconnected betweensaid shaft: and said inertia member, said means being adaptedto oppose the action of said diaphragms thereby to decrease the total effective resistance to axial displacement of the shaft and inertia member.

3. Apparatus for translating mechanical vibrations into an electrical voltage comprising an inertiam'ember including a magnetya member supporting an armature coil inthefield of said magnet, anda connection between said members preventing relative displacement therebetween.

except along a single axis, said connection comprising a'resilient element whichresists relative displacement of the members along said axis with a force; which increases substantially I75 linearly with the displacement, and a toggle connection between said members, adapted to decrease their total efiective resistance to relative displacement, said last-named connection comprising a plurality of radial struts and means exerting radial compression on said struts.

4. Apparatus for translating mechanical vibrations into an electrical voltage comprising a shaft, an inertia member including a magnet having an anular air gap coaxial with said shaft, an armature coil arranged in said air gap and secured to said shaft, a connection between said shaft and said inertia member for maintaining the same in coaxial alinement, said connection comprising a pair of radially stiff metal diaphragms each having slots therein providing a movable central section secured to said shaft and resiliently resisting axial displacement between said shaft and said inertia member, and

additional means interconnected between said shaft and said inertia member to decrease their total effective resistance to axial displacement, said means comprising a negative spring member adapted to favor axial displacement of the shaft and inertia member.

5. Apparatus for translating. mechanical vibrations into an electrical voltage comprising a shaft, an inertia member including a magnet having an annular air gap coaxial with said shaft, an armature coil arranged in said air gap and secured to said shaft, a pair of-radiaily stiif diaphragms perpendicularly mounted on said shaft and supporting said inertia member in coaxial alinement therewith, said diaphragms being formed to resiliently resist axial displacement of said shaft and said inertia member, and means for decreasing the total effective resistance to displacement of the shaft and inertia member, said means comprising a plurality of radially alined struts providing a toggle connection between said shaft and said inertiamember and spring means exerting radial compression on said struts.

6. Apparatus for translating mechanical vibrations into another form of energy comprising a movable member arranged to receive or deliver said mechanical vibrations, an inertia member, means operatively associated with said members for eifecting said energy translation in response to relative displacement between the members, and a flexible connection between said movable member and said inertia member permitting relative displacement therebetween, said con- 

